For all the money and resource swilling around Manchester City’s academy, it was a local lad who saw it that Chelsea will not have the FA Youth Cup all their own way this year.

Phil Foden, born in Stockport just down the road from here, gave City hope going into next Wednesday’s second-leg, equalising after Ike Ugbo’s opener.

After the match, City's Under 18 coach Lee Carsley said: 'We took almost 45 minutes to look around and go "bloody hell, there's people here - flags and whistles going" but we should take a lot of confidence from the second half. We should go there next week confident.'

Phil Foden celebrates after levelling the scoring for Manchester City in the second-half

A first-leg in front of Pep Guardiola and Vincent Kompany which had only flickered eventually opened up, Chelsea breathtakingly quick on the counter attack, City precise in midfield.

Jody Morris saw Callum Hudson-Odoi make a lasting impression as these two outstanding academies - of which 18 of the starting 22 are eligible for England - traded blows.

First it was City to strike a post, the diminutive Brahim Diaz, with fleetness in flight and surprising upper body strength to palm off markers, slipping in Lukas Nmecha. The striker, prolific this season, could only hit the woodwork when clear.

Then came Hudson-Odoi, curling into Muric’s frame and fashioning the opening goal a minute before half-time.

Hudson-Odoi waltzed inside City’s penalty area, waiting for his moment. His shot was diverted onto the left-hand post before returning to the forward. Unselfishly, he laid on for Ugbo who did the rest.

The 18-year-old striker is mobbed by his team-mates at the Academy Stadium

The Chelsea man pictured stroking the ball home to give his side the lead going into the break

City had been feeling their way into this but Chelsea - who have lifted this trophy in each of the last three seasons - were electric going forward.

In Diaz, though, City have a gem. Certain to go on tour with Guardiola this summer, the Spaniard is a cut above on the ball. He sliced Chelsea open with another defence-splitting pass, only for Jadon Sancho to side-foot wide.

And it is indicative of City’s rigorous academy that Diaz was actually told to go home on arriving two minutes late for training recently. He was made to train alone later that day.

Yet while Diaz shone, Foden - another great hope at the Etihad - drove them back into the tie, slamming across Jared Thompson just after the hour.

Lukas Nmecha reacts after missing an opportunity to put City ahead on the night

Foden has a shot at goal for the hosts on Tuesday night in the first-half of the first-leg

City's Matthew Smith and Chelsea's Juan Castillo battle for the ball during the early stages